Around Here Week 33: 08/15-21

 A glimpse into what it is like to live in our home just this moment. 

Intentional Outdoor Hours: 392+ hours (of 1000)
We worked on and enjoyed the back patio, we had a fire one night with the Conns, attended practices, and checked on the garden all this week which got me up about 14 hours. 

Reading and finishing Sing Unburied Sing by Jesmyn Ward! I enjoyed the book and the lyrical writing, however the mother in me struggled so hard with Leonie, I wanted to be empathetic but I just couldn't get there with her. I started a new book The House by the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune which was one of the books that I spied my co-worker bestie, Renee, had purchased for her classroom this year when I was dropping off a book I had borrowed from her last week. I'm excited to dive in and also the cover is gorgeous. 

Receiving the sweetest care package from my friend Haley. Little gifts for Olive and I and even the big kids - I don't know how you are so thoughtful always, thank you thank you thank you. xxxo

Loving our new framed out back patio. The windows are exactly how I was hoping they'd be (thanks B, Gemma, and Pappy!) Gem is always a huge helper in general, but when it comes to projects with Dad she is already right there next to him (and her grandpas) learning what she can and helping in any way that they need. She has really been more observant too, recognizing when they are going to need more nails/staples and getting them ready ahead of time. She is really something, that girl, and we are so lucky to have her. Our new walled up on one side back porch really provides such a perfect bit of shade and wind block while we are hanging out on the back porch, especially with the babies. We have our old couches out there and it is such a little haven, even now unfinished. If I've said it once, I've said it a million times - thank goodness for that back porch!! 

Attending middle school orientation with Grey. He got to see his classrooms and practice is locker combination while the parents got some important information about changes on our end for life at the middle/high school compared to the elementary school. Grey is excited to move up to the 'big' school but a little nervous too since it's all new to him (and us!) 

Reorganizing the back part of the living room. It was a downright disaster with the kids' toys and the desk set up like Gemma's classroom. I knew I had to fix it up before the school year started or I would be a maniac. So Gem helped me and we cleared out a ton of stuff and fashioned a long desk out of a piece of spare plywood on top of the two book shelves (hah, just call me a designer, thanks). We then moved the couches around a little bit too and it looks so open and so much better.

Learning about Circadian Rhythm and very intrigued. If curiosity killed the cat, I am always in deep deep peril because my brain isn't anything if it's not hard-wired for curiosity about all the things. My google history is a weird and vastly varied place (hah). 

Competing with B for our late summer flower bloom competition as has been our annual tradition for the past few years. Both of our competitor plants are in the side flower bed which you can see from the kitchen window. My Black-eye Susans are beautiful every year (and expanding their territory) while Brandon's Autumn Joy Seedum are growing so wide. Both fight so fierce in trying to be the prettiest plant in the side flower bed and B and I have fun teasing each other about who has the better bloomer. 

Having make-up birthday parties for Grey and Gem
    Gem had a To All the Boys I've Loved themed sleepover at our house. We had cookies, wrote notes to our crushes and put them in a hat box, and watched the movie outside on the back patio. The girls also played lots of make believe games, played on the slip 'n slide, and made up like 3 million cheer dances on the trampoline. 
     Grey had a sleepover at fishing camp with three of his buddies and Rusty. They had pumpkin roll, caught some catfish at night, caught a snake, traded fishing lures, and fished from dawn and even in the night with headlamps on. 
      The funniest part about the parties though was that when the boys were packing up to leave, all the girls jumped on the back of the truck and it was just such a picture of middle school boy/girl hate each other but also obsessed with each other weirdness. B and I were cracking up and also taken back to that terrible awkward, hilarious, sweeping emotions as big as the universe time of tween. Good Lord, someone with older kids than mine - please send a detailed report back on how the heck we are supposed to be doing this....k, thanks. 

Smiling about two mini-birthdays this week. Olive is 3 months (yipee! I really love this stage) and Gemma is officially 9 and a half (unbelievable; both because she's so much more mature than that and also how is my Gemmi Roe nearing double digits. whyyyyy time?) 

Pacing back and forth like a madwoman while waiting for news of my sister's delivery. Like out of my mind; walking all over the house, bursting into tears thinking of how proud I am of her and how much I love this baby already....Brandon was getting worried about my state of deliria so he was like, here have a drink. Hahha, and then I got royally drunk, took a nap, and woke up to a text that said, "He's here!"  (if I need sedated for my baby sister to have a baby, what in the world am I going to be like someday if/when it's my own children. Hahaha, poor Brandon). 

Smiling about one very big BIRTH day! Our nephew is here: Wells Adams Moore, aaaaaaaaaaand, I'm obsessed. He arrived August 21 and sweet Baby Wells is perfect and my baby sister was a rockstar and our cousin/midwife Meg was equally incredible. and OMIGOSH I AM AN AUNT!?!! So grateful (as always) for Miss Hannah, who was able to come visit with our kiddos while B and I snuck off to the hospital to hold our first ever nephew and hug Uch & Kevin (new parents!!) Wells is the sweetest little darling - I can't...what do I do now as an aunt...just cry constantly with pride and love and happiness? 

Sporting with 3 football practices for Violet, 2 cheer practices for Gemma, and 4 football practices for Grey. Brandon is helping with the Varsity football team (offense) this year, so he went to their scrimmage on Saturday morning too. And Grey had a Junior High Baseball meet&greet on Sunday. 

Making broccoli soup and homemade bagels, hawaiian meatballs over rice, haluski (made with the first cabbage harvested from our garden!) with kielbasa, pork chops and mac&cheese, buffalo chicken dip, and tacos with a side of corn on the cob. Charcuterie-inspired lunch boards are quickly becoming my summertime go to for lunches for the kids. I also made a bunch of chocolate chip cookies for Gemma's party and just ended up ordering pizza for the girls. For Grey's party I put together a crockpot of hot dogs, pork roast, and sauerkraut and a pumpkin roll.  B and I got to go out for a sushi dinner too! 

Things I made with zucchini: zucchini and raisin cookies